The Devil's Cry
by xXPegasusHunterXx
Summary: 10 years after the threat of Ultimecia has been eradicated, another greater threat appears and Selphie has been abducted. The group gets together for the first time in 10 years and plans to rescue their friend
1. Beginning of the end

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy 8 or Squaresoft or anything related to it. (Even though I would love to.)

The Devil's Cry: A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Chapter 1

10 years after the threat of Ultimecia had been eradicated, Squall Leonhart, who was happily married to the gorgeous Rinoa Heartilly, was now the President of Esthar. He was well-loved and respected by all his citizens and even had his own "Squall Leonhart action figure!"

Rinoa, on the other hand, went into making documentaries regarding animals with her best friend, Angelo. The show "Animal hour with Rinoa" was very popular.

Zell Dincht, one of Squall's best friends, had set up a school to teach young SeeDs the power of martial arts.

Quistis Trepe, Squall's SeeD instructor and mentor, was now publishing her own magazine, "Feeling blue? Turn to blue magic!" The purpose of the magazine was to educate the people of the world to defend themselves in times of need.

The couple, Irvine Kinneas and Selphie Tilmitt, was engaged and had published a book, "Squall Leonhart, The Man behind the Legend." The book was on the top of the bestsellers' list for a few months.

The heroes were extremely busy, even more than when they were preparing to duel with Ultimecia.

But fate, as usual, had the nasty habit of disrupting things when all was peaceful.

It all happened one afternoon when Squall was in his study, gazing out of his window at the Great Salt Lake, remembering the fight with Abadon that he had had there.

All of a sudden, the phone rang. The sharp noise cut through the silence of the room.

It was Irvine. He sounded panicky as though death itself was knocking on his door.

"Squall, Selphie was captured by something!" Irvine said, practically yelling.

"Calm down! What do you mean by 'something'?" Squall said, calm and undisturbed as usual.

"Exactly my point! I don't know what it was! It teleported out of the shadows and grabbed her!" Irvine yelled again, this time sounding hysterical.

"What? It teleported? Are you sure?" Squall asked, panicking slightly.

The knowledge that only Sorceresses could teleport unnerved him slightly.

"Very well. Gather the old crowd at the Esthar Airbase ASAP. And bring your weapons just in case." Commanded Squall.

The moment he hung up, he went to his cupboard and opened it. There was his black leather jacket and jeans and most of all, his new Gunblade.

Smiling slightly, he changed out of his tie and suit into his old battle gear and grabbed his Gunblade, the Lionheart 3000.

Having done so, he rushed out and got into his Porsche LX30 and drove towards Esthar Airbase.

On his way there, he saw his wife, Rinoa strolling on the streets with her dog, Angelo.

He rolled down his windows, "Get into the car, honey. Selphie has been abducted."

Rinoa's pretty face registered shock and got into the car silently. "Do you know who abducted her?" asked Rinoa quietly as Angelo whimpered.

Squall looked at her, "I think our world is under attack by a Sorceress again… At least, that's what I think. Because Irvine said that the abductor can teleport and as far as my knowledge can stretch, only Sorceresses can teleport."

Rinoa frowned. "I'm supposed to be the only Sorceress in the world, Squall."

"Yes, I know. But we can't rule out the possibility! Ultimecia was from the future so there might be more." Squall argued.

The couple was still in heated debate as they drew up next to the Airbase where Irvine was already waiting, his shotgun, Exeter Alpha8, slung across his back, looking extremely worried.

"Where are the rest?" Asked Squall.

"They're on their way over." Replied Irvine solemnly, not at all like his usual flamboyant self.

"It'll be okay, Irvine. We'll find her." Said Rinoa, trying to comfort him as she patted his back gently.

Squall walked into a room of the airbase and found a captain there. "Is she ready?" Squall demanded.

"Ready as ever, sir!" replied the captain proudly, pointing at the aircraft through the window.

Squall peered through the window. There it was, his pride and joy. The thing that had once saved his life. The Ragnarok. Of course, it has been upgraded beyond recognition.

It now contains ion cannons, proton missiles and even a slip steam core, which enabled them to travel to anywhere in space in a flash.

Finally, Zell and Quistis arrived, both looking anxious.

"What happened?" Zell asked, his blonde hair still defying gravity.

Squall and Irvine filled both of them with the information that they had. Zell eyes widened as he heard Squall's suspicions that a Sorceress had returned and made to interrupt but Quistis silenced him with a raised hand.

"Well then… That's all very simple, isn't it? We killed a Sorceress before! Let's kill one more!" Quistis said, with a familiar twinkle in her bright, turquoise eyes.

"It won't be that simple though. We'll have to locate Selphie first. And we don't even have a hint where she is. And for all we know, the abductor might not even be a Sorceress!" Zell muttered.

Irvine nodded in agreement.

"Right… We'll just make our decisions as we go then." Squall decided.

"Where was it you last saw Selphie, Irvine?" Asked Rinoa gently.

"I think it was near Odin's tower. We were just walking near there when something jumped out from the shadow of a tree and grabbed her and disappeared…" He muttered miserably, not making eye contact with anyone.

"Don't worry, Irvine. We'll find her. And when we do, the person who abducted her will get hell." Zell said, cracking his knuckles. Irvine gave a weak smile.

Together, the team boarded the Ragnarok. Most of the group beamed when they entered as fond memories came flooding back.

"Look at this! The graffiti I drew are still here!" Zell exclaimed while pointing to an untidy scrawl saying, "Balamb Cafeteria's hotdogs are the best!"

Quistis laughed as she saw the storybooks that she had hidden under her seat in the cockpit 10 years ago.

Finally, the rest of the team arrived at the cockpit too. Then, all of them were stumped. Who is to drive the Ragnarok? Selphie was usually the enthusiastic one of the group. As a result, only she knew how to pilot the Ragnarok.

At that instant, the lift to the cockpit buzzed into life.

It was the captain of the Ragnarok. "Are you having trouble piloting the Ragnarok, Sir? I did not see Miss Tilmitt with you."

"Ah… Yes. Roger, Selphie is um… unwell. Therefore, she will not be piloting the Ragnarok. Would you like to take the honor instead?" Squall queried.

Roger broke into a wide smile. "It would be my pleasure, sir. My name is Roger Caldy. I am trained in all aspects of the Ragnarok. It would be an honor to serve all of you." He gave a small bow at the group.

Rinoa hastened forward. "No need to bow to us, Roger. We're not royalty."

Roger gave everyone a big grin and settled in the pilot's seat. "Wait till my children hear I'm fetching all of you. They're such big fans of all of you."

Zell grinned as the aircraft buzzed into life and slowly started to move upwards… Little did Zell and the rest of the group know, they would not be grinning for a long time if they knew what they were facing…

End of Chapter 1

Author's note: This is actually my 2nd fanfic. I deleted the first after extremely violent reviews… Hope you enjoyed this. Please give your reviews.


	2. The fake guy and the demon

Disclaimer: As much as I would love to, Final Fantasy VIII and Squaresoft does not belong to me.

The Devil's Cry: A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfiction

Chapter 2

"To Centra Ruins we go!" yelled Rinoa Heartilly enthusiastically. Her dog, Angelo, bounded around the cockpit of the Ragnarok excitedly, licking all the old friends that it used to hang out with.

Zell Dincht laughed as the dog bowled him over and licked his face. "He's getting fatter, Rinoa. What have you been feeding him?" He asked laughingly.

"When you're the wife of the President, the only thing interesting left to do is to feed the dog." Rinoa laughed, glancing at her husband, Squall Leonhart who was fake-glaring at her.

Quistis pretended to shiver. "Look at them, Zell. Squall used to be the silent one, didn't he? He still owes us for helping him to break out of his shell."

The only silent one of the group now was Irvine Kinneas. That was because his fiancée, Selphie Tilmitt, was abducted by something extremely mysterious.

The team is now heading to Odin's Tower in the Centra Continent as that was where Selphie was last seen.

Several hours later, the pilot, Roger, announced that they would be landing anytime soon.

"I remember this place clearly. The number of Tonberries we killed just to lure the king out… It sure was tedious." Said Quistis, looking around the barren plains they were standing on, her whip, Save The King, by her side.

"Where to now, Irvine?" Rinoa asked, her Blaster Edge, the Shooting Star MegaMax, already attached to her hand.

"There." He declared, pointing to Odin's Tower. The group, Squall in the lead, trudged towards the tower, talking about the past.

"Say, Irvine… What were you and Selphie doing here anyway?" Rinoa asked with a sly smile.

Squall turned around and thought he saw Irvine's eyes glow red. Squall frowned and looked again. Irvine's eyes were back to its light brown color.

"We were um… taking a walk." Muttered Irvine uneasily.

Squall pushed open the gate to Odin's gigantic citadel and received an enormous shock. A petrified cry was uttered from his mouth involuntarily.

Irvine and Selphie's bodies were both hanging from the ceiling, limp and lifeless.

Squall whirled around instantly and pointed his Gunblade at the Irvine behind him. "Who are you?"

Both Rinoa and Quistis were gaping in horror. Zell put his hand over his mouth, as though he was going to feel sick.

The Irvine hanging from the ceiling suddenly thrashed about.

"Fire!" bellowed Zell. A jet of fire burst from his hand and burned the ropes. Irvine and Selphie fell towards the ground. "Slow!" Rinoa yelled.

Irvine and Selphie slowed down and gently landed on the floor. Quistis rushed over to administer first aid.

Zell and Rinoa had turned around to confront the fake Irvine along with Squall.

"What have you done to them?" demanded Squall.

The fake Irvine gave a spine-chilling laugh. His eyes glowed red and he seemed to be growing larger and larger. His pale skin turned to dark brown. His clothes tore, revealing bulging muscles.

Instantly, Squall knew what it was. It was Baal, the God of Destruction.

"They are merely pawns in my effort to own this world. I lured you with the illusion of your friend because I knew that you'd come. That is the weakness of fighting for good." Baal laughed again.

"Enough talk! Let's just pound him!" Zell yelled.

"No! Zell!" Squall shouted, knowing that avoiding a fight would be better at this point. However, Zell was not the kind of person to stop.

Zell's fist was drawn back as he ran towards Baal. Baal smirked and turned into smoke. He reappeared inside Odin's Tower, right next to Selphie's unconscious body.

A tentacle protruded out of his back and grabbed Selphie. Irvine, who was awake, grabbed his shotgun and fired a few shots at Baal. It did not seem to have any effect at all.

"If you ever want to see her again, travel to the planet of Barbados. We shall have a duel. If you win, you get her back. If, on the other hand, I win," Baal sneered. "the Earth is mine."

With that, Baal vanished in a puff of smoke again.

"SELPHIE!" Irvine yelled in an anguished voice. "This is all my fault!" Irvine shouted, banging his fists on the wall.

"Irvine! It's not your fault… Don't blame yourself. Don't worry about Selphie. We'll save her." Quistis said, in an effort to calm Irvine.

"What happened, Irvine?" Squall asked silently.

"I don't know exactly… Selphie and I came here to discuss our plans for the future after we get married and stuff," Irvine buried his face in his hands, "then all of a sudden, I heard her scream. I turned around and the next thing I knew, I was knocked out."

"This is bad, Squall… What do we do now?" Rinoa asked, a look of intense worry on her face.

"Exactly! This Baal guy seems to be even more terrible than a Sorceress!" Zell exclaimed loudly.

Quistis nodded her agreement.

"I don't care whether you guys are coming or not. This is my fiancé we're talking about! Whether you are coming to help or not does not matter to me," Irvine declared, "I shall save her myself if I have to!"

There was a moment of silence.

"How come you never say such things about me, Squall?" Rinoa joked. "You could do with taking a leaf out of Irvine's book."

Squall ignored her and said to Irvine, "Don't worry, pal. We'll go with you…"

Together, the group walked off into the setting sun, towards the Ragnarok, towards their next great adventure!

End of Chapter 2

Author's note: Thanks for the reviews so far. Wish I had more but I can't complain. The end of another chapter, folks. Hope you enjoyed it! I enjoyed writing it!


	3. Defence of Barbados

Disclaimer: Once again, FFVIII and Squaresoft do not belong to me. (If it does, I probably will never write another Fanfic and instead look for a place to spend my vast fortune.)

The Devil's Cry: A Final Fantasy VIII Fanfic.

Chapter 3

Back in the Ragnarok, Squall and the rest was stuck in a predicament.

If they were to go ahead and pursue Baal, they would have the disadvantage, as Baal would know the planet better.

On the other hand, if they did not go, they would be letting Selphie down.

"What are we still waiting for! We need to save Selphie!" Irvine yelled angrily.

"Calm down, Irvine. Nothing gets solved when one is angry. Don't you think it's a bit foolish to just rush forward?" Squall tried to reason.

"Easy for you to say! It's not your wife who was captured, is it?" pointing at Rinoa as he said so in an anguished voice.

Rinoa turned pale. Quistis put her arm on Irvine's shoulder. "Irvine, calm down… I swear to you, Selphie will be fine."

Irvine nodded curtly.

"Well, that's settled then," Squall said, clapping his hands once. "Roger, please send us to planet Barbados, we have someone to rescue."

The Ragnarok's engine hummed into life. The crew settled themselves in the cockpit. "Slip Stream activated." A female mechanical voice said from the intercom speakers.

There was an extremely bright burst of white light emanating from in front of them. Suddenly, string-like tentacles burst from the light and pulled them in. Ragnarok trembled as though it was unable to take the pressure.

Then, as they emerged from the other side of the light, they found that they were in the Pegasus Constellation where Barbados was. Ragnarok slowly turned around and headed to the orange planet of Barbados.

Barbados was a perfectly spherical planet. It had an orange glow and seven moons. According to the display on Ragnarok's control panel, Barbados was inhabited by life forms known as Tirithians.

Tirithians, like humans, speak English. The difference is that they have brown skin and blue hair. Horns are also a common feature on adult Tirithians.

Now, Squall pondered. Would the Tirithians view them as hostile creatures and eliminate them before they even land? That would save Baal lots of trouble…

"Squall? Why so silent?" Rinoa asked, peering at him in a concerned manner.

Squall shook his head, not wanting his wife to worry.

Then Squall strode over to Roger. "Try and establish contact with the Tirithian base. I need to check if Baal really resides here."

Quistis and Irvine looked up at those words.

"You don't think he lives here?" queried Quistis.

"I do. It's just that I want to establish contact with him to allow clearance for the Ragnarok to land. After all, we don't want the Tirithians blowing us up, do we?" Squall answered.

"Have you ever considered that he might not be a legitimate citizen of Barbados?" Irvine debated.

Squall and Zell frowned. "Ya know, Squallie, what Irvy said does make sense."

"I know it does, 'Zellie'." Squall replied sarcastically. Rinoa giggled a little.

Just then, the screen of the Ragnarok buzzed into life. Baal and a gagged Selphie appeared on it.

"Time's a wasting! Unless you want to see you pretty little friend die," Baal traced a long bony finger down Selphie's cheek, "hurry up!"

Baal let out an evil cackle and vanished off the screen.

There was no doubt about it now, Baal and Selphie were on Barbados.

A now furious Irvine demanded Roger send them there at once.

Roger stuttered, panicking at Irvine's rage. "But s…sir, we have n…not established if Bar…Barbados is friendly y…yet."

"I don't care! Just go!" Irvine yelled.

Roger glanced at Squall, who nodded. Roger tightened his hands on the steering panel and started gliding through the starry space towards Barbados.

Just then, there was a loud rumbling sound and the intercom buzzed into life. "56 NX-157 missiles detected." Roger turned around again, sweat beading his face…

End of Chapter 3

Author's note: The end of another chapter, my dear friends… Stories are getting harder to continue. Thankfully, I have some friends (like Vicky) who encourage me to go on. Please R&R.


	4. Romance is in the air like missiles

Disclaimer: Squaresoft and FFVIII does not belong to me! Gosh! How many times do you want me to say that? Does it feel nice to rub salt in my wound?

The Devil's Cry: A FFVIII Fanfic

Chapter 4 (At last)

It was panic in the cockpit of the Ragnarok as the alarm blared into life. Everyone was panicking except Squall. He alone seemed calm and composed as though he knew what to do.

Zell Dincht was the most frantic of the panickers. He ran around the cockpit screaming, "We're all gonna die! We're all gonna die! And I haven't even got married yet! We're all gonna die!"

Squall walked over to the control panel and confidently pressed an unlabelled button. Immediately, Ragnarok started to quake.

Then a blue pulse of light emanated out of the Ragnarok and blasted the 56 missiles away. The fire propelling the missile sputtered and went out.

Thus, the missiles were immobilized. It turned out that the pulse was an Electromagnetic pulse or EMP for short. It stops any electrical activity from happening. Ragnarok was coated with a special reflective coat of armor and was immune to it's own EMP wave.

Zell, who was kneeling on the ground and begging god to forgive him for his sins, stood up and pretended that he knew all along that Squall would save them.

The rest of the crew calmed down and returned to their seats as Squall turned around and smiled reassuringly at them.

"Ok. To Barbados we go!" Roger declared, firing up Ragnarok's ion thrusters.

At that precise moment, the Ragnarok intercom buzzed into life again. "112 NW987 Warheads are detected at a range of 10,000 miles."

This time, even Squall started to panic. He started to think as the cockpit around him burst into chaos again.

Thinking hard, he finally got it. He left the cockpit and into the changing room. He grabbed a spacesuit and his Lionheart 3000. He changed into the spacesuit and went back into the cockpit.

"Roger, open the hatch to the outside." Squall commanded. Roger looked stunned but did so anyway.

Rinoa questioned him, "What are you trying to do, Squall?"

"Remember how I swore that I would protect you forever in our wedding vows? Well, I'm about to do that now!" He replied.

With that, he exited the cockpit once more and headed for the exit of the spacecraft.

As he climbed out of the warm confines of the Ragnarok into the icy coldness of deep space, he muttered a prayer.

The only thing that connected him to the Ragnarok was the cable, which was to prevent him from drifting away.

Squall looked ahead. He could see the dots representing the missiles headed for his way. Gripping his Lionheart 3000, he thought hard.

Maybe it was fated that they would die. Fated that Baal would take over. Fated that Earth would suffer because their heroes die. Squall knew he could not let that happen.

He leapt high, the cable strained, and raised his Lionheart 3000. Fate was the cause of all this and therefore, fate shall end it.

"Fated Circle!" Squall yelled. He swung his Gunblade once. A white colored shockwave burst out towards the missiles.

As the shockwave collided with the missiles, the missiles exploded, leaving Ragnarok safe again.

Squall heaved a sigh of relief and headed back to the Ragnarok. However, due to the strain placed on the cable, the cable snapped and Squall started to drift away.

In horror, Squall flailed him arms and legs in a desperate attempt to return to the ship. Just as Squall started to lose hope, the door to the Ragnarok burst open.

Rinoa jumped out and grabbed Squall's hand. Using her own cable, she managed to pull both of them into the spaceship.

"Remember the promise I made that I'll be with you till the day I die? Well, I intend to keep the promise." Said Rinoa, smiling sweetly at him as they changed out of their spacesuit.

Squall pulled Rinoa into a hug and kissed her on the lips. "I'm so glad I married you." After that, Squall departed leaving Rinoa smiling happily in the changing room.

Minutes later, Rinoa went into the cockpit. She walked past Squall on the way to her seat. "I'm glad I married you too." She whispered lovingly in his ear.

She smiled even wider and went back to her seat.

"Now, Roger, at last, depart for Barbados." Squall said with a smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Quistis asked him as the engines roared into life.

"Nothing, nothing. I'm just happy that I have a great life ahead of me…" Squall replied happily.

Now, Squall finally understood why Irvine got so angry when the rescue mission was delayed. He understood what it meant to love. He understood why friends was so important.

But most of all, he understood how it felt to be loved…

End Of Chapter 4.

Author's note: Wow. I uploaded two chapters in one night! Well now, this chapter is more of the romance kind. I promise you, next chapter, Squall and the rest WILL land on Barbados. But how? I leave it for you to guess.


	5. Invasion of Barbados

Disclaimer: I do not own FFVIII or Squaresoft.

The Devil's Cry: A FFVIII Fanfic

Chapter 5

"The Ragnarok has entered Barbados' atmosphere!" announced Roger.

"Excellent work, Roger." complimented Quistis. Roger beamed.

A few minute of silence later, Roger spoke again.

"Sirs and madams, I have detected a large military group waiting for you on Barbados. It seems that they have an advanced anti-air system. What should we do?" Roger asked, panicking slightly.

Squall gave a sly smile. "Miss Trepe," he said sarcastically. "perhaps you would like to help out?"

Quistis returned the sly smile and nodded.

"Great. Roger, send a distress signal to Barbados' military force and tell them that we have a young lady on her way as a visiting gift." Squall said, laughing.

A look of incomprehension flashed across Roger's face but he still did so anyway.

Quistis strode across the cockpit towards one of the escape pods and entered it.

With a "Whoosh", the escape pod slid out of the Ragnarok towards Barbados at top speed.

"Magnify and on-screen." Roger announced a few minutes after the pod landed.

The screen crackled into life. They saw Quistis' escape pod being surrounded by tons of old, lusty Tirithians. Their blue faces gleaming with expectation.

As the escape pod opened, the crew saw Quistis smiling seductively at the Tirithians. All of a sudden, Quistis started to glow and float.

They saw her mouth form the words, "Shockwave Pulsar!"

A blinding crash of light hit them. Even from 100,000 miles away, Quistis' Pulsar could still be felt in the Ragnarok.

"Excellent… Now, Roger, Full Speed Ahead!" The whole crew yelled the last three words, especially Irvine.

"Baal, you shall die…" Mumbled Irvine as he reloaded his shotgun, the Exeter Alpha8.

"Under my blade," Squall continued, sheathing his Lionheart 3000.

"And my Blaster Edge," Rinoa chirped in, attaching her Shooting Star MegaMax to her delicate hands.

"And my fists of vengeance!" Zell whooped enthusiastically, wearing his Burning Ehrgeiz.

"Don't forget my whip, the Save the King!" buzzed Quistis' voice from the intercom.

"Let's go get him, guys!" Squall yelled as the Ragnarok landed on Barbados with a bump.

With a feeling of great strength the group had not felt in 10 years, they rushed to combat to save their comrade, Selphie Tilmitt, the soon-to-be Mrs Kinneas.

The gravelly ground crunched under their feet noisily. Squall glanced around at the Tirithians that were laid to waste by Quistis' Pulsar.

"Nicely done, Quistis. Don't you think you were too violent, though? A Degenerator would have been nice." Said Zell, congratulating Quistis by patting her on the back.

"Yup," agreed Squall. "you're still the same, old, violent SeeD instructor that I used to know."

Quistis smiled widely, blushing.

"So… Where do we go?" asked Rinoa, in a tone that suggested that they were going for a picnic while looking around at the desert that they have chosen to land in.

Squall pointed in the sky at a castle on top of a mountain. "Reminds you of Ultimecia, don't you think?"

"Gosh. Bad guys are so tasteless. They always live in castles." Zell said.

Laughing, the heroes set out towards the castle.

As the heroes went nearer to the castle, they noticed that the sky got darker even though it was supposed to be daylight. An aura of evil seemed to hang around the castle.

"Intruders of the domain of Evil, be gone!" yelled a voice in front of them.

Then, a puff of smoke appeared. The smoke gathered together into one gigantic shape and hardened.

It was a familiar sight, a Malboro.

"Oh great… Just what I need… A creature which doesn't brush its teeth and has Bad Breath." cursed Irvine.

A dark aura surrounded Irvine. He seemed to be giving off heat.

"Irvine?" Rinoa called cautiously.

"Darkside!" yelled Irvine. He fired his shotgun.

The bullets seemed to be glowing black too.

Malboro died instantly with a sickening splatter as the bullets hit it.

As the Malboro died, Irvine's aura faded and he coughed. Blood sprayed onto the floor.

"The side effects of Darkside… Higher damage in exchange for health…" Squall said wisely.

"I can't afford to waste time on a Malboro… I came here for Baal… and Selphie…" Irvine said, drinking a small bottle of potion.

With that, the group continued towards the castle.

Along the way, they entered a few villages where the devastation caused by Baal was obvious. This only strengthened Squall's will to fight.

At last, night had fallen and the heroes had finally reached the tall gates of the castle.

Squall used the brass knocker and hammered on the wooden doors. The knocker felt strangely cold…

The door swung open with a "Creak"…

Two red eyes flashed in the darkness. Then… Rinoa screamed…

End of chapter 5

Author's note: I'm not so sure about this chapter… The first half seems better than the second half… My favorite part was probably the part when everyone was pledging his or her will to fight… As long as you like it and give reviews… Hope you liked it! R&R!


	6. The leaving of a great soul

Disclaimer: I, Squall Leonhart, am here to represent the author for his disclaimer, as he is too sick and tired of writing disclaimers. My world and Squaresoft does not and will never belong to the author. He is merely a sick 15 year old writing a story about us because he can never own us. (Smiles wickedly.)

The Devil's Cry: A FFVIII Fanfic

Chapter 6 (Wow! Never thought I'd get here.)

Author's note: Before we begin this little story of mine, I would like to thank Vicky for being such a great friend even though I have never met her in my life. Believe me, dear readers, if not for her, this story would probably not exist after Chapter 2. And previously, we stopped the story with… (Checks story, "Ah yes…")

(The story begins…)

The door swung open with a "Creak"…

Two red eyes flashed in the darkness. Then… Rinoa screamed…

"ZELL! Don't touch me when we are about to enter a house of evil! Gosh! You scared me!" Rinoa yelled at Zell who was laughing.

Thankfully, Rinoa had not yet seen the eyes that Squall had seen.

Squall pushed into the house and switched on the lights. He nearly laughed. The two red "eyes" belonged to the electric regulator to signal that electric was not flowing through the house.

As Squall and the rest of the group came into the entrance hall, Squall stopped and realized something…

"The two red 'eyes' belonged to the electric regulator to signal that electric was _NOT_ flowing through the house."

But yet… "Squall pushed into the house and switched _ON_ the lights."

With an eerie shiver, Squall glanced up. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the crystal chandelier.

Putting it out of his mind, Squall looked around. Despite it being the home of Baal, the castle looked stunning, as though it was built in the period when knights in shining armor lived. It had wooden tiling and many hand-painted pictures of knights and the people who lived in the castle.

The entrance hall had two staircases. One on the left and one on the right. Both of them led to a balcony where a door was. As far as the naked eye could see, that door was the only way out. (Not including the exit)

Squall went up next to the door. Irvine aimed his shotgun at it. Squall kicked it open and backed off to give Irvine a clear shot. Nothing. No one was there.

Squall crept in with the rest of the group following close behind.

All of a sudden, Quistis screamed. Squall ran forwards while asking the rest of the group to keep moving.

Quistis had collapsed on the floor. Squall propped her up on his knee and examined her.

He found the reason almost immediately… An extremely long and sharp spike had impaled Quistis from behind. The tip protruded from her stomach like some gross horror movie… Only that this was real… Very real.

Squall felt the wetness of Quistis' blood seeping through his jeans.

"Squall… I…" Quistis gasped, it seemed that her emerald eyes had something urgent to say. But within a few seconds of the gasping, her emerald eyes shut and a trickle of blood oozed from her mouth.

"No…" A faint voice behind Squall said.

"No… It can't be real… NOOOOOOO!" It was Zell. He pounded the wall with his fists.

The others had already returned to investigate all the screaming.

Rinoa was pale, her hand over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes.

Irvine dropped his shotgun in shock.

Squall gently pulled the spear out and laid Quistis on the floor and stood up. He looked down at his ex-SeeD instructor and memories came flooding back.

Back in the orphanage, "I'm going to tell Sister you've been fighting with Seifer, Squall! And she's going to scold you."

"Remember to turn up for your field test today, Squall…"

"Congratulations on becoming a SeeD! I'm so proud of you!" Quistis had exclaimed with a wide smile.

"Go for it, Squall… Rinoa is a rare girl!" She had said with a wink right after Rinoa was brought to the Sorceress Memorial.

"Ultimecia is just an extraordinary human. We have six extraordinary people! Surely, we can win!"

Images of Quistis embedded in his mind. Without knowing it, Squall started crying. Hot, fast tears streamed down his cheeks.

Quistis Trepe. The intelligent woman who became a SeeD instructor at the age of 16. Labeled as a child prodigy. Cheerful. Optimistic. Funny. And now, dead…

Squall turned around and faced his group. Nearly everyone was crying. Except Irvine. He had his cowboy hat pressed against his chest, his eyes shut and was muttering a prayer.

Zell was sobbing and still beating the walls.

Rinoa had knelt down and started to cry, her entire body shaking.

"Lets go, guys…" said Squall solemnly, wiping his tears on his jacket.

"HOW? How could you even think of doing such a thing? Quistis is dead! DEAD!" Zell yelled at him, brandishing his fists.

"It would have been what she wanted! She would not have wanted us to stand here and cry over her while Selphie suffers!" Squall yelled back.

"You three can go! I'm going to bury her body!" Zell said and carried Quistis and walked towards the gate.

"Will you be coming back later?" Squall asked.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Zell left.

"Right then. Lets go." Squall said, putting a firm arm around Rinoa's arm and pulling her up.

"Baal, if you can hear me, you shall suffer! I shall personally ensure it!" Squall said to nothing in particular.

End of chapter 6

Author's note: Well now… A victim has fallen prey to Baal… Our very own Quistis Trepe… Sorry, guys… Had to let that happen… Well… Feeling a little ashamed of myself… Please review and don't send me hate mail please…


	7. Disaster strikes again

Disclaimer: Hi! Rinoa here. The author is taking a break from writing disclaimers so I'm here to help him get out of legal trouble. Me and my fascinating world does not belong to the author because that would be just plain terrifying.

The Devil's Cry: A FFVIII Fanfic

Chapter 7

Mourning the loss of their mentor, Rinoa, Irvine and Squall moved on, anxious to save Selphie. Zell had gone out of the front gate to bury Quistis and put her to rest.

Then, Zell yelled too. "Don't come any closer! No! Don't! NO! NOOO!"

Silence fell…

Squall ran towards the front door and tried to push it open but it would not. Frustrated, Squall kicked the door as hard as he could.

With a sickening crack, the door flew open. Everyone's eyes widened.

They saw what had jammed the door. It was Zell's arm…

The rest of his body was a few feet away, face down, a pool of blood around his head.

Rinoa gasped and turned around, looking nauseous. Irvine inched forward until he was next to Squall, looking at the arm with a look of disgust on his face.

Squall shook his head… Not another one, he thought.

Memories flooded back again…

Back in the orphanage, "Go, Squall! Punch him!" Zell had cheered when Squall was fighting Seifer.

Years later, "Put it there, man!" Zell had said, offering his hand for Squall to shake.

"I am not a chicken-wuss!" Zell had yelled at Seifer.

"Ultimecia shall be my breakfast tomorrow!" Zell exclaimed.

Zell Dincht. The brilliant SeeD who excelled in martial arts. Funnily reckless. Hot-headed. Funny. Dead…

Squall sighed as the tears pricked his eyes again. He blinked, trying to hold them back.

"All this would not have happened if I had looked after Selphie." Irvine said solemnly, looking upset.

"Don't blame yourself, Irvine. We all make mistakes sometimes…" Squall said, patting Irvine's shoulder.

Rinoa was crying again. "Why does this have to happen to us? Why are we always the one who gets into trouble?"

"It's because we are thought to be powerful. People expect us to do great things. And as someone once said, 'With great power comes great responsibility.'" Squall said, putting an arm around her shoulders as they sat on the stairs.

Irvine was still staring in shock at Zell.

"We had better go before we get attacked too…" Squall said, helping Rinoa up as Irvine walked towards him.

Irvine nodded silently.

The three of them got up and headed back towards the passageway.

They walked down the long corridor flanked by scary looking suits of armor until they reached a three-point fork.

They glanced at each other. "Lets go separate ways for now." Squall suggested.

Rinoa made a sound as though about to protest but Squall told her that it was for the best if they wanted to find Selphie.

Reluctantly, the three of them parted and went to their own separate routes. Squall took the middle route, Rinoa took the right and Irvine took the left.

**Irvine's Point of View(POV)**

Reluctant as I am to part, I know that spreading out will enable us to find Selphie faster. I'd do anything to find Selphie.

Several Grim Reapers appeared… These ghostly apparitions carried a huge scythe. They were said to appear when chaos existed.

Irvine raised his shotgun and, furiously, fired several rounds at them. One of the three Reapers vaporized.

One of the remaining two raised its sharpened scythe high and slashed it across Irvine's chest.

Irvine let out a startled gasp. He placed his hand on his bleeding chest and muttered, "Cure." His hands glowed white and the wound closed and the bleeding stopped.

He raised his shotgun again, ready to exact his vengeance on the Reapers. When he looked up, he found that the Reapers were fleeing.

Scared? Irvine thought.

Then, a thought struck his mind. What if they weren't running from me, Irvine thought, what if they were running from something more powerful coming up behind me?

Slowly, Irvine turned around. Next thing he knew, a sword stabbed into his stomach and an axe sliced off his hand. Gasping, Irvine looked up, desperate to see his attacker but he couldn't see anything due to the fact that, streaming before his eyes, were visions from his life.

As his blood flowed freely, Irvine saw the moment when he joined Galbadia Garden. The moment he had become a SeeD. The moment he joined Squall and his gang. The moment of his first kiss with Selphie. Then, his mind focussed on Selphie.

Selphie, his sweet, adorable wife-to-be… Selphie… I'll be joining you soon… Irvine thought as life slipped out of him. Finally, he was aware that he was dying… But it was too late… His eyes shut and Irvine Kinneas died…

Oblivious to the demise of their friend, Squall and Rinoa rushed on. Bravely fighting enemies to rescue Selphie… and wondering whether they, too, will fall prey to this unseen phantom…

End of Chapter 7

Author's note: And so it begins… one by one, Squall's friends are falling prey to Baal… Will Squall and Rinoa survive to banish Baal? Please R&R…


	8. The Final Fight

Disclaimer: Yo, people! I am Zell Dincht. I'm here on behalf of the author to write his disclaimer. Right, listen up. Me and my world do not, in any way, belong to the author of this story. Bye!

The Devil's Cry: A FFVIII Fanfic

Chapter 8

**Rinoa's POV**

For Selphie, my good friend, I shall battle to the end…

Rinoa's thought strayed to the impaled Quistis and the decapitated Zell… She shuddered and continued walking along the dark passageway.

About 10 suits of armor flanked the corridor. 5 on the left and 5 on the right. The 5 on the right carried spears and a small round shield.

The 5 on the right carried a double-handed broadsword. Rinoa glanced at them and proceeded forward. As she put her hand on the doorknob of the door on the other end, she heard a loud "Clunk!" and "Thud!"

She turned around. The armor were lowering themselves onto the floor and turning to stare at her. She raised her Blaster Edge and fired repeatedly. The Edge bounced off the armor without even causing a scratch.

Panicking, Rinoa raised her hand and muttered, "Firaga!"

An extremely large jet of fire spiraled out of her hand and surrounded the armor. But the armor just walked through it as though it wasn't there. The nearest suit of armor raised it's broadsword and slashed Rinoa across the chest.

Spluttering, Rinoa collapsed onto the floor. She tried to gather some energy to heal herself but, to her horror, nothing happened.

Her eyes widened and she coughed blood onto the floor as a spearman drove it's long iron spear straight through her back. Intense agony flooded through her body. She couldn't even cry out.

Images flooded through her mind.

She remembered clearly she and Squall sitting in the cockpit of the Ragnarok minutes after the Lunar Cry happened.

She recalled the first hug she and Squall had ever shared after he rescued her from the Sorceress memorial.

"Will you marry me, Rinoa?" Squall had asked just when the fireworks he had ordered to be prepared for that moment of proposal erupted miles high into the sky. "Yes." She had whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes.

Squall… My husband… Rinoa thought with her last strain of life… My partner… I'm sorry… I can't go on.

With a last spear driven hard into her body, the flame that was Rinoa's life was extinguished.

**Squall's POV**

Just a few feet away, through a thick wall, Squall felt a pain tear at his heart. The pain was so sharp and acute that it was like nothing he had ever felt.

Somehow, he knew that Rinoa was dead. He hoped that what he felt wasn't true but deep down, he knew that Rinoa was dead.

Squall had taken care of the large bunch of 30 goblins with ease.

He laid his hand on the door handle and pushed.

He was in a large circular room with three doors. One of them was the one he had just entered. The other two were on its left and right. So, Squall thought, we were tricked into taking three separate paths that actually leads to the same room…

The ceiling was made of clear glass such that he could look at the sky.

"Enjoying the scenery, Squall?" A cold voice sneered from behind a high-backed throne.

The throne turned. It was Baal. Behind the throne was the wall. Hung upon that stretch of wall were his friends and wife.

Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Quistis and Rinoa. All of them were dead. Nothing mattered to Squall now. Adrenaline pumped through his veins.

He raised his Lionheart 3000 and charged forward. Before he could even take one step, he was blasted with a strong jet of dark energy. Squall flew backwards and smashed into the stone wall… Pain shot through his back.

He stood up and wiped away the trickle of blood that had oozed from his mouth.

"Holy!" Squall yelled just as Baal shot another dark energy ball towards him. The two balls of opposing colors hit each other and vaporized.

"So, you know how to play…" Baal sneered… "All the better for me to win you with…"

"We'll see about that, you demon!" Squall yelled. He raised his Lionheart 3000 again and charged forward.

He nimbly dodged the four dark energy balls that Baal shot. He leapt high above Baal who was no longer sitting on his throne.

"Impertinent…" Baal said coldly. 5 tentacles wriggled out of Baal's bare back and whipped Squall away.

Squall stood up again, the lashes on his skin bleeding. For Rinoa, I'll do anything, he thought.

He dashed forward again, his Lionheart 3000 held like a lance. Somehow, Baal did not see that coming. Baal was stabbed in the waist.

"Impertinent…" Baal repeated again. The Baal that he had stabbed had vanished in a puff of smoke. "That was just a phantom to lure you where I want… As a result of your impertinence, the hellish fires shall embrace you in evil! Hellfire!"

A hole crumbled in the stone floor, revealing a deep cavern full of fire and suffering spirits. A jet of dark fire flew out of the hole and blasted Squall straight in the face.

Squall yelled in anguish, clutching at his bubbling skin.

"The battle is over, Squall, and you've lost…" Baal sneered.

"Says who?" A mystical, dreamy sort of voice said from overhead.

"The battle has only just started." The voice said again.

Baal looked up and gasped.

Squall actually smiled in relief…

It was a…

End of Chapter 8

Author's note: The end of the chapter… Next chapter will probably be the last… Hope you loved this story as much as I did… Please R&R…


	9. The end

Disclaimer: It is I, Quistis Trepe. I am here to write the disclaimer. Me, my brains and my magical world does not belong to the author of this story.

The Devil's Cry: A FFVIII

Chapter 9

Author's note: Before I begin my last chapter, I want to let all of you know how much all your support means to me. It has been a pleasure reading your reviews and writing this story for you. I'll miss spending the night thinking what disaster Squall and gang will face. After this story, I might proceed to write a Resident Evil fanfic or a Riveria: The Promised Land fanfic.

**The Story Begins…**

It was a Phoenix.

Wings as wide as those of a jet and body flaming orange. It was a beautiful sight.

"Do you remember me, Squall? You called for my help using a Phoenix Pinion during your fight with Ultimecia." The phoenix said, its warm eyes looking down at him.

"Yes… I recall…" Said Squall, coughing more blood onto the floor.

"And I swore, did I not, that I would return when you have need of me?" The phoenix said in its comforting voice.

"Yes… You did…" Having said so, Squall slumped onto the floor, unconscious.

Baal, having mistook Squall for being dead let out an evil cackle. "You are too late, turkey. Squall and the rest are dead and I shall conquer Earth."

"Your rudeness, normally, would not be tolerated. But I came here for Squall today." The phoenix said coldly.

The phoenix flapped its wings once. Fine, gold powder fluttered onto Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, Selphie, Quistis and Zell.

Squall awoke first. He struggled to stand up and rushed over to Rinoa. Rinoa's eyelids were fluttering. Squall felt a pulse on her wrist.

"Thank you, great phoenix. I shall never forget your kindness." Squall beamed up at the bird of fire.

The bird beamed and, with a twitch of its wings, vanished.

"Squall?" Rinoa's faint voice called out.

Squall looked down at her as the rest of the group stirred and awakened.

"Say no more for now, my love. We have a war to fight." Squall told her gently, planting a kiss on her warm cheek.

As a unified front, the group stood up together, glaring at the abomination, Baal.

Squall stepped forward, in front of the group.

"You led us here on false pretences that you would return Selphie to us if we could defeat you, do you deny that, demon?" Squall asked in a loud, ringing tone.

Squall seemed to be glowing white as though he had an aura.

"I expect an answer when I ask you a question, demon!" Squall said again, not sounding like himself at all.

Baal sneered. "Who the hell do you think you are? Faking a voice to scare me?"

"I am your worst nightmare, Baal. I am The Guardian of the Elements, Jegan." Squall said, sounding more like a mystical character.

"Jegan!" Fear flashed across Baal's face.

Squall's body began to fade. Fade to nothingness…

When he was gone, a bright beam of light shone down on where he last stood. The rest of the group just stared, transfixed.

An angel began to descend. Long dark hair with shining bright eyes. Pure-white wings unfurled out of his back. In it's hand, it held a electric-blue scythe.

Then, it spoke,

"Sources of light  
With ancient spin  
Send forth the magic power within.

Goddess above, hear my cry

Watch over me as I pass judgement on this demon!"

The angel, Jegan, raised his scythe high over his head and said, "_Lost Seraph!_"

The blue scythe glowed white.

Without hesitation, Jegan flew over with his wings and slashed a stunned Baal right in the chest.

Raising his scythe over and over again, Jegan slashed Baal repeatedly till he was sure Baal had perished.

Out of the wounds on Baal's body, a dark liquid flowed. The liquid, as Jegan explained, was pure darkness. It would be harmless in that state.

Having done his job, Jegan flew away and left Squall behind.

Sobbing, Rinoa ran towards Squall and flung her arms around his neck, kissing every inch of his face she could find.

"What happened?" Squall asked, drowning in kisses.

"We'll explain later." Zell smiled.

Selphie had, too, flung her arms around Irvine as tightly as she could and Irvine was stroking her hair gently.

"Lets go everyone! Home!" Squall shouted, linking hands with Rinoa.

As they burst out of the front doors of the castle, they smiled up at the bright sunlight that seemed to embrace them.

They passed by the villages and informed them that Baal has been vanquished. They had a party there and departed for the Ragnarok.

Roger smiled as Selphie and the rest boarded. "This is your rightful seat, Miss Tilmitt." He stood up and indicated the pilot's seat.

Beaming, Selphie sat down and geared up the engine.

Everyone was feeling warm and contented as Ragnarok shot towards Earth, towards home. And towards their Final Fantasy…

THE END OF THE DEVIL'S CRY 

Author's note: This is it, folks… The end of this story… Hope all of you liked it… I had a great time writing this, short as it may be… I loved every moment of this story… And to my fans (if I have any… ), thank you all…


End file.
